Born at Winnipeg on 25 August 1899, son of stonemason James Leckie (1853-1938) and Margaret McDonald (c1852-1932), he attended Victoria-Albert School and the Central Collegiate. He worked as a stenographer before misrepresenting his age on enlistment papers to serve overseas with the Lord Strathcona Horse during the First World War.

He returned from military service and joined the Winnipeg Fire Department in April 1923, where he would work 44 years. In May 1940, he again returned to active military service with the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps and retired with the rank of Captain. Returning to the Fire Department in July 1946, he made Lieutenant (1951), Captain (1952), and Deputy Chief (1957) becoming Fire Chief of Winnipeg (1964-1967). He retired from the post in August 1967, but remained active with the department, attending fire chiefs’ conferences around Canada and the United States.

He was a member of the Fire Fighters Historical Society, International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Institute for the Blind, Fellowship Club, Khartum Drum and Bugle Corps, YMCA Health Club, Royal Canadian Legion No. 1, Mason (Ionic Lodge), UCC of E (Bethany Preceptory No. 68 and Carnaugh Chapter). He was twice-married, to his first wife Faith Leckie (?-1970), with whom he had three children; Lawrence “Larry” Leckie, William J. “Bill” Leckie, and Margaret Leckie (wife of J. Knight). He remarried following the death of his first wife, to Winnifred “Win” McNamara (c1903-1990).